The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-03-30
FOREIGN.
Mr.. Gladstone Makes Great Speech
In the Commons.
The Passage of the Coercion Bill
Likely to Be Delayed.
rhe English Compliment the Skill
aud Ability Of American
Yachtsmen.
Mr.. Tennyson's Jubilee Ode the Sub
Ject OF General RidicuIe.

Mr.. Tennyson's Jubilee Ode the Sub
Ject OF General RIdicule.
LONDON, March 29.-The St. James Gazette
today pays the following high compliment to
the skill and ability Of American yaehtsmen: !:
ITO cross the Atlantic in IA days in afro
cionsly bad weather, without losing spar or
sail, Is not a bad piece of seamanship. This
Is the feat accomplished by the Cor0net and
IL proves once more that the Yankees know
now to sail their yachts as well as how to
build them. The owner and crew Of tho
Cor0net may be congratulated on their per-
tormance but their victory over the Dauntless
IS somewhat discounted by the weather The
loser In the race was smaller by over 100 tons
tnan her antagonist, and in heavy seas. such
as occasionally poured tons Of water on
board, size Is an element that tells seriously.
Ihere Is no doubt, however, that both yachts
are fine vessels. If the Americans prefer to
race along their coasts in skimming dishes, it
Is not from any inability to build keeled boats
which can go to sea with our own best eruis-
ers."
The Daily News says in regard to Secretary
Balfour's speech last night:
IF Balfour intended to destroy his own
case in the House he could not have spoken
with more triumphant success. The Parnell-
ties would have done better not to interrupt
him, for the longer he continued the more ut
terly helpless his contention appeared. The
bill was one of the worst ever introduced in
farllament II has one advantage In that 1t
destroys once for all the hollow pretence that
the pseudo Unionists desire to treat England
and Ireland on equal terms.
The Standard, while admitting that Balfour
betrayed lack Of grasp Of the complexities
Oh the irish problem, excuses him on the
ground of his newness in official life.
The Queen has commanded all the men,
bers Of the royal family to come to London
to celebrate her jubilee.
Gladstone resumed the debate in the House
ofCommons this afternoon on the Irish GRIM
inal law amendment bill. He was loudly
cheered when he arose. He said that in an
issue so grave proposals so extreme as those
now put forth by the government required
ample time for consideration. He found
himself bound to support Parnelps amend
ment, because the ground upon which Bal
four based the governments case was absO-
lutely insufficient and unsatisfactory. The
governments BILL instead Of being cure for
ireiand,s Ills, or even palliative, was mea-
sure that would aggravate the deepest seated
and worst disorders. with this coercion
bill, exclaimed Gladstone, .the prospect of
conciliation had vanished into thin air The
government intend to exclude the land bill,
which was the main recommendation of the
commission which has just completed an ex-
haustive Investigation Of Irish affairs. Moth
ing remains but the figure Of coercion, bare,
bald and gaunt, alas, too familiar. The
Right Honorable Secretary for Irelend has
dlbClhpbCu W CACuoC Luc pIUpOSdlS Ou lilt
ground that crime in Ireland during the last
three years has increased; but he has fol-
lowed an usual course in refraining from
giving the House official information proving
his allegations. The statistics of crime in
Ireland were against the government. 1t
was the first time he (Gladstone) knew of an
anonymous assertion being imposed on Par
lament in support Of demand for legisla-
tion. (Cheersl Here he refer rred in detail
to the cases adduced by Balfeur of League
a1r.r ha oofA
that boycotting was bad enough, but it was
not confined to the Nationalists He knew
of a Protestant clergyman who had been de-
prived Of his living because he was Home
Ruler Continuing, allusion had been made
to previous Liberal coercion proposals. In
1881, when his government proposed coercion,
the ground was the agitation then existing
Wherever he went he was dogged by crime.
For the present bill there was no such excuse
A demand was made upon the House to COM
init the most formidable breach of trust that
a popular assembly could.perpetrate to relax
the condition upon which alone Parliament
could sanction change in the criminal law
IN order that the law might fall with iucreas-
ed strlngency upon particular portion of
the Queens subjects. The opposition would
insist upon having the fullest opportunity to
examine the provisions of the bill. Every
Irish and every English member should have
lcheers), and for sitting and scrutinizing
the extreme proposals OF the government
Among the most insulting and exasperating
proposals, the worst ever submitted to Par
Lament was the provision that Irish trials
be held in London. He had never known
such blow at the national feeling of ire
land. The government could have devised
nothing more likely to aggravate the very
existing evil. As to the permanent duration
OF the bill, the proposals made ones blood
boil. To establish what was formerly only a
temporary remedy as a permanent rule Of
existence for society in Ireland would put
label OF inferiority upon Ireland. Recog-
nizing as fixed principle that force was
remedy. the lesson Of many years showed
that force was no remedy. Since the election
OF 1885, since the bulk of the Liberals had
judged that it was both right and safe to
grant home rule, Ireland had been free from
crime and outrage condition long un-
known. Why was this? 1t was because the
Irish people knew, that large, though in
sufficiently large body of Liberals had
adopted their interests and would abide by
them to the last. (Cheers.) If the Liberals
acceded to the appeal of the government, the
result would be retrogression. The Irish
people would return to state Of things
which the Liberal efforts had already partly
remedied. So long as Ireland continued in
her present course of moderation, so long
would the Liberals be bound TO perseyere in
their efforts to assist her.
GOsehen tainted Gladstone with his alli-
ance with the National League. Everybody
but the allies of the League considered the
state of Ireland intolerable. The govern
ment would be disgraced If it refrained from
frustrating the efforts of the enemies of the
existing laws and the opponents Of what
ever remedial measure the government might
propose. He regretted the absence from
Gladstone speech of any condemnation of
Irish crime or violent language of the Irish
agitat0r. The Liberal leader rather suggest
ed the defence Of those crimes. The govern
ment based their case upon the notorious
failure OF the administration of justice. A
proper administration of the laws constitut-
ed the safety. of individuals, and was the
only true guarantee of life and liberty.
Gladstone's speech Is widely commented
upon as an effective exposure of the feeble-
ness of the governments reasons for de-
manding coercion. The strength of his
reasoning is admitted by the Conservatives,
and Is felt keenly by the Unionist-Iiberals,
more OF whom threaten to secede unless the
coercion bill be reduced to simple provisions
against boycotting, and the plan of cam
paign, Conservatives already talk of drop
ping the proposals relating to the transfer Of
jury trials, especially since the Unionists
papers in the provinces declare them to be
untenable. Gladstone renewed his defiance
of the government to attempt to enforce the
closure. The Gladst0nians are confident
they can delay the passage OF the bill until
May, and In the meanwhile are hopeful that
the evolution of events will fail the whole
scheme. The whips on each side have for
hidden members to be absent during the
holidays, unless they are paired. The Radi-
cal societies throughout the country are
passing resolutions against the coercion bill,
pronouncing it impolitic and unjust. The
English Radical press denounces the measure
in language of passionate indignation.
Tennyson's jubilee ode Is the subject of
general ridlcule. 1t is regarded as a bad
imitation of Walter Whitman. Even the
conservative Globe gives sleering parody
of it.
Mrs. James Brown Potter, who made her
debut at Haymarket Theatre this evening,
was very fayorably received: The play was
Wilkie Collins "Man and Wife," in which
Mrs. Potter played the part of Ann
Sylvester The audience included the Prince
of Wales, lord Dunrouen, Lord Elcho,
Charles Phelps and Mr.. White of the
American legation, Lady Colon Campbell
and Oscar Wilde. Some critics complain
of Mrs. Potter's general amateurishness and
say her voice Is sharp and metallic, and her
action jerky. Mrs. Potter says she has tax
en- to the stage permanently. She will re-
ceiye 100000 for the series Of her perfor-
mances.
Mr.. Colt, the owner Of the Dauntless. de-
MES emphatically that there is any truth In